


Dread and Despair

by Lumelle



Series: D18 Firsts [5]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-12
Updated: 2011-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-19 07:36:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/198475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumelle/pseuds/Lumelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyouya is in pain and there is nothing Dino can do to help. Except hold him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dread and Despair

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a series written for Hibari's birthday 5/5/2011. 18 "D" fics, each 1318 words long (as D = 13 in hexadecimal), each written for the theme "firsts". The theme for this fic is "first night together".

"What do you mean, you can't help him?"

Dino winced at the pained tone in Kyouya's voice. However, he had no time to feel bad about such things, he decided, stepping forward to keep Kyouya from attacking the poor veterinarian who had the bad fortune to deliver the news. The teen did look like he was on the verge of beating the poor man.

"I'm sorry, Hibari-san," the vet said, his voice trembling even as Dino held Kyouya back, not allowing him to attack. "I'd love to tell you anything else, but there's just nothing we can do. The damage is too extensive."

"But that's your job, fixing animals, isn't it?" Kyouya strained against Dino's grip. "Fix him! Heal him! That's why I brought him here!"

"There's only so much we can do," sighed the man. He glanced at the little pup lying on the table, whimpering and whining. "Even if we patched him up as best as we could, the recovery would be slow and painful, and chances are he wouldn't make complete recovery anyway. It would be much more merciful to let him go to sleep."

"You want to kill my dog?" The anger and pure pain in Kyouya's voice were enough to drive a shudder even down Dino's own spine.

"Listen to him, Kyouya," Dino murmured, holding the teen close to his chest. "He doesn't want to hurt Hachikou. On the contrary, he wants him to stop hurting. You don't want to force him to cry anymore, do you?"

"But I don't want him to die," Kyouya said, his voice quiet and hollow. However, the tension left his body as he allowed Dino to hold him, his eyes on the poor little puppy. "I don't want it..."

"I know, Kyouya." Dino swallowed. "But he's been hurt a lot. Even if they do their best, he'll still be in pain." He shook his head. "Hachikou's been very brave for you, holding on as far as he has. It's your turn to be brave for him and let him go."

"But I don't want to," Kyouya whispered, and Dino wished he could have done something to take away the despair in his voice.

This wasn't normal, he thought, this wasn't Kyouya. But then, he supposed he couldn't ask Kyouya to remain calm and collected under these circumstances. Not when it was about his poor puppy.

He was sure he had never before seen such pure, unadulterated fear in Kyouya's eyes as he had when the teen had run to him, pale and out of breath, clutching a shivering ball of fur to his chest. He'd understood the fear as soon as he got Kyouya to loosen his grip of the poor puppy, seeing the blood and numerous wounds. An encounter with a car, he had concluded, one the little puppy had never had any chance of winning.

For as long as he had known Kyouya, Dino couldn't remember him ever asking for anything. He commanded and ordered and demanded, yes, but never asked. Yet there Kyouya had been, pleading, almost begging him to help his dog, to do anything to make him stop crying.

Dino had looked Hachikou in the eyes, seeing the deep pain there, and realized that the only way for the poor pup to stop crying would be for it to be quiet for eternity. However, he hadn't had the heart to tell Kyouya that, instead ordering Romario to get them a car to the closest vet in an instant.

They had somehow managed to make Kyouya let go of his pet so the vet could attend to the dog. Even then, Kyouya refused to leave the room, lips set in a thin, determined line. Except now they knew the situation, and it was more than Kyouya could handle.

The silence seemed to drag on forever. Only Hachikou's quiet whimpers broke it every now and then, each one making Kyouya shudder in Dino's arms. Finally, Kyouya spoke, his words slow and quiet.

"Let him go to sleep."

"Thank you, Kyouya," Dino whispered, loosening his grip but not letting go. "Thank you for being kind to Hachikou."

He was there the whole time yet everything seemed to be a blur, all he could concentrate on was Kyouya, Kyouya who managed to listen to him enough not to break down in front of his dog. Kyouya insisted on being there the entire time, of course, he held his dog and petted him and told him not to be afraid, it would be all right. Dino was proud of him, the kind of quiet pride he would never dare voice, watching Kyouya hold the bloodied, unmoving pup while Dino talked with the vet. He wouldn't let go of the puppy until Dino half forced him to, explaining that Romario would take him and clean him up and they could bury him the next day, yes Kyouya at his favourite playing spot of course. Not that it would take that much to clean off the worst of blood from a small puppy, but he needed Kyouya to take a moment to calm down. He was close to hysterics right now.

Amazing though it was, Kyouya never resisted as Dino led him to his apartment, still wearing his bloodstained clothes, pale and shaken. He didn't even say anything as Dino prompted him to get a shower and change into a clean set of pyjamas, what do you mean of course it's by chance that I have a set of pyjamas that fit you so well. It wasn't until Dino brought him a cup of tea that he broke down at last, pain and shock and sorrow forcing they way out in the form of tears. It was the first time he had ever seen Kyouya cry, Dino realized. First time he had ever seen him hurt so much.

"It's better this way, Kyouya," he said, ignoring his usual precautions around the tempered teen and drawing him into his arms again. "He's happy now and not in pain anymore. It was brave of you to let him go."

"But I shouldn't have to let him go," Kyouya argued, his words mere sobs more than anything. "I told him not to die! He had no right to leave me!"

"It just doesn't work that way sometimes, Kyouya," Dino murmured. "He was hurting, Kyouya, just like you're hurting now. I'm sure you wouldn't want to force him through any more pain."

"But he's my dog!" Kyouya protested as though he hadn't even heard what Dino said. "He's mine! You gave him to me! Nobody has the right to take him from me!"

"Just because you own something doesn't mean you can control it, Kyouya." Dino sighed. "Hachikou was a very strong little puppy. He was very strong and brave to make his way home after he got hurt. That's because he knew you'd make the pain stop, Kyouya. He knew you would make everything better again."

"It's not fair, though," Kyouya said with a teary voice. "He never had a chance! He's just a small animal... my little animal..."

"Life isn't fair, Kyouya." His shirt was getting wet but he didn't care. "Life isn't fair, and we can't control it. All we can do is live on."

Kyouya never replied, just clutched onto Dino, crying against his chest until exhaustion won over. Dino gave a faint smile as he gathered the pale young man in his arms, carrying him to bed.

He'd had many dreams of how they would first spend a night in the same bed, he thought as he drew the blankets over them both to keep Kyouya warm. Many dreams, and many hopes, but none of them had involved Kyouya crying himself to sleep.

It was all right, though, as long as he could be there for Kyouya.

Even if it was just to hold him.


End file.
